The Guardian Nurse
by Narichards
Summary: This is a story of how a simple nurse can help a King. Will she let her feelings get in the way? Edmund/OC
1. Chapter 1

Emma blew a strand of hair out her face impatiently as she bound a bandage around a man's arm.

"Rest for at least two weeks, then come back in and have it checked for infection. Keep it clean." She wiped her hands on a towel and stepped back. "You're free to go."

The man grunted and walked out of Cair Paravel's hospital. He had been injured while training with the soldiers. The hospital was attached to the south side of Cair Paravel, with a main room for triage and immediate care, and side rooms along the wall for people recovering. The hospital mostly served soldiers who were injured during training, and occasionally servants or maids who had become extremely ill. Emma was the assistant to the head nurse, Martha Blotts, a very strict old women, with no patience. Emma was only twenty-three, but had moved up quickly.

Emma walked quickly to the front desk, securing her light brown hair back with a piece of string. She glanced at the list of patients and set off to the next one, bone tired. This was her third straight shift, and it had been 24 hours since she had slept. The hospital was crowded and understaffed, and as assistant, she had to step in if needed.

When she finally finished an hour later, relieved by a grumpy older nurse, she tore off her apron and left before Martha could call her back in. Pulling a sweater around her, she found a tree outside and sat down, exhausted, too tired to walk all the way home to her house. Emma had to be back inside in three hours, and it took her almost an hour to walk home. Her eyes fluttered closed and her head leaned against the tree as she fell almost instantly asleep.

The first thing Emma noticed when she woke up was rain pelting down from above. The tree had blocked her from most of it, but her sweater was damp. She quickly stood up and brushed off the dirt from her dress and ran inside. She glanced up at a clock and realized she had a few more minutes until her next shift started, so she wandered down to the kitchen to see if she could find something to eat.

The hallway was filled with a delicious aroma, cinnamon and bread. Emma grinned as she saw her favorite cook was in the doorway, yelling at a servant to hurry. She stepped behind her and yelled "Boo!".

The cook turned around and rolled her eyes. "Ya don't scare me no more. Yer here every day, at least once befor' lunch. Yer late today, missy."

"I'm sorry Beth, I had to work three shifts in a row and I have another in five minutes."

"Dunna apologize to me." She turned back to face the kitchen and bellowed again. "Bring her some real food, an' this time, hurry!" Beth turned back to face Emma. "Ya gonna burn out if ya don't take care of yerself. When was the last time you had a decent meal?"

Emma shrugged. "I work too much to think about food."

"They overwork ya, I'm telling ya. Ya need more help."

"Martha won't hire anyone. Says it's too much of a risk to have inexperienced nurses in the palace."

"Well, ya tell her, it's also a risk ta have unhealthy, tired nurses." Beth plopped a plate of food on the table and Emma dug in. Beth turned away and began yelling again. Beth was the head cook at Cair Paravel. She had taken care of her like a mother when Emma's mother passed away when she was fourteen. Beth had noticed almost immediately that Emma had a knack for nursing and didn't crumble under pressure. She had helped Emma get an education and get hired in the palace. Beth lived in the palace now as head cook, while Emma lived in a small rented room in a hotel in the city.

Emma put down her fork and grabbed a roll. She was almost late. "Thanks Beth!" She hollered, and ran down the hall, dodging servants and straightening her white dress.

After her shift, Emma wearily hung up her apron and took off her cap. The flow of patients had finally stopped an hour ago, but took that long to treat and release, or in some cases, move to separate rooms for the night. After signing out, she grabbed her damp sweater and began the long walk home in the miserable rain.

When she finally reached the hotel, she was completely drenched and shivering. Her shoes squelched and she tiptoed up the stairs. It was almost midnight and she didn't want to wake up her landlady who would scream if she saw the water. When the door closed behind her, Emma sagged with relief and shrugged out of her wet clothes, threw them in a pile on the ground, pulled on a baggy dress and climbed into bed.

Emma slept for a solid twelve hours and crawled out of bed after lunch. She was still tired, but felt a little bit refreshed. She had the day off, and was planning to go to the market and stock up on a few things and then clean out her dingy room. To one side, stood a bed, tiny closet and nightstand, and on the other was a table, stove and a crooked shelf for all of her food.

Emma laid out her wet clothes and pulled on a simple bright blue dress and pulled her curly hair into a braid. Before she left, she grabbed a roll and basket and headed out the door, a spring back in her step.

Emma Holland was a tall, thin girl with spunk. She had a quick witt, and wasn't really afraid to be herself, but she could be shy around new people. It was usually her biggest insecurity. But the hospital was where she really came alive. There, she could take charge and was confident. Helping people made her feel better and worth something. Otherwise, Emma felt like she didn't have a purpose.

As Emma stepped out into the now sunny day, she noticed people seemed tense, at least more so than usual. As she filled her basket, she finally stopped a man who continually glanced up at the palace.

"Excuse me, sir," She said. "Has something happened?"

The man glanced up again. "Where have you been, miss? King Edmund and his guard have been attacked on the Telmar border. Three killed, dozens wounded. Apparently they were just doing a routine check of the border patrol when they were attacked. The men arrived early this morning, at least the healthy ones."

Emma's eyes were wide. If Telmar had attacked, this could be the start of yet another war. She all too clearly remembered the last war when she had been a nurse for Telmar.

"Thank you," She said quickly and walked quickly through the crowd. If men had been attacked, they would be brought to the hospital, and she would be needed.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi guys! Please review! I've already had a few and that's surprised me a lot. I do appreciate them and if you have any ideas how to make my story better, let me know.

This is a longer chapter, hope you like it!

Chapter Two

Once Emma was clear of the crowded market, she ran to her room. She quickly changed into her nurse clothes, wrapped a shawl around her and found a man willing to let her ride in the back of his wagon to the palace.

Once there, she hopped off and ran into the hospital. It was swarming with activity, unlike anything she had seen before. Mrs. Blotts nearly fainted with relief when she saw Emma.

"Emma, have you been debriefed?"

"Debriefed?" _Since when have I ever been debriefed?_ Emma thought. _This hospital is too disorganized to debrief people._

"King Edmund was injured and is in critical condition. He has lost a lot of blood. They have the bleeding under control but the doctors believe he has a complete hamstring tear and needs surgery." Mrs. Blotts lead her to a bed on the far side of the room with doctors running around it. "I need you to prepare him for surgery and be in the operating room to help control bleeding."

"Me? I'm not trained for that, I've never done that before," Emma was shaking her head. "I can't do that for the first time on a _king_!"

"Miss. Holland, I did not give you a choice. You have watched more surgeries than I ever have, you will know best. All of our other choices have the day off or are already in surgeries." And with that, Mrs. Blotts walked off. Emma stood still for a moment, and then threw her shawl to the side and ran to bed.

The doctors seemed to be talking now, slightly calmed as they prepped for the surgery.

"Miss Holland, is he cleared for the surgery?" A doctor asked as Emma pushed her way through to examine his leg. It was messily bandaged and he was unconscious.

"Has he had pain killers yet?" None of the doctors listened to her, too busy talking about the events that had happened. Emma sighed.

 _Men_. She thought briefly before finding the clipboard at the end of the bed. No painkillers had been given. _Idiots. They didn't even stop to think he might be in pain._ Emma motioned for another nurse to help her, since none of the doctors would listen. The hospital was as disorganized and crowded as always.

When Emma had cleaned his skin and given him a shot of morphine, his body seemed to relax a little. She made a note of it on the clipboard and then started to unwrap the bandage to get a better look. To clear him for surgery, she had to make sure he 1. wasn't about to bleed out 2. actually needed the surgery and 3. make sure his leg was sanitized so it wouldn't get infected.

But to do that, she needed room. Finally, Emma stood on a chair, placed her hands and her hips and yelled. "If you aren't a necessary part of this surgery, please leave!" The hospital fell almost completely silent, but none of the doctors moved. She glared at them. "If you aren't needed right at this moment, go help another patient. He will be fine without you." She nodded at them as all but three filed away. She stepped off the chair and went back to the king's leg. When she cleared him for surgery, the doctors came back, swarming around as he was wheeled into the operating room. Emma gave him anesthesia to prevent him from waking up, then allowed the doctors to take over.

As they stitched him back together, she stepped in to make sure blood loss was limited. She wasn't entirely sure she was doing the right thing, but the doctors thanked her afterwards.

The surgery took a little over an hour, and when it was done, Mrs. Blotts assigned her to watch the king and ensure he was comfortable and out of danger. Emma washed her hands quickly and then hurried over. She checked his bandage, but only a little blood had leaked out. She checked his other vitals, recording them on the clipboard, noting that he seemed to be very pale, most likely from pain and blood loss. If she guessed right, King Edmund would wake up in about two hours, but it would be three until he could have another shot of morphine. She feared he would be in a lot of pain, but they would just have to wait.

Emma checked for any more injuries on his body. He had a cracked rib, most likely, and a long, shallow cut above his eye that would need stitching. _How has nobody thought to check to rest of him?_ Emma thought, frustrated by the doctor's incompetence. She brought over the necessary tools and sanitized the needle. Biting her lip, she gently stitched the skin together. Once she was finished, she cleaned the skin and put a bandage on it. Hopefully, the king wouldn't pull out the stitches if he got excited.

Every couple of minutes, Emma returned to check on Edmund, making sure he was comfortable. An hour after stitching him up, she returned and watched as his eyes opened slowly.

"Where am I?" His voice was deep and raspy, eyes squinting against the light.

Emma handed him a cup of water and helped him drink it. "Cair Paravel's hospital. You just had a surgery on your leg. Can you tell me your name?"

The king raised his eyebrow but grimaced as he felt the stitches gingerly. "What?"

"Can you tell me your name? I want to make sure your mind is sound."

"Fine. Edmund Pevensie."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

Once Emma had finished her questions, she gave him another shot of morphine. "You should feel better in a minute. If you feel tired, just rest."

The king had dozed off in minutes. Emma smiled and pulled the covers over him.

Emma hired a carriage to take her home almost sixteen hours later, late at night. She was too tired to think straight and a little overwhelmed. Mrs. Blotts had assigned her to Edmund until he was fully recovered. Normally Emma took care of the patients who needed immediate care because that's what she did best. Rarely did she take a long term patient. When she walked up the stairs and into her room, she collapsed on her bed without taking her shoes off and promptly fell asleep.

The next morning, Emma woke up at the crack of dawn. She had a restless sleep, and she had to be back at the palace in half an hour. She brushed her curly hair, ate a quick breakfast and hired a carriage again. She knew she would regret spending that money when she needed to pay rent later, but she was too exhausted to put one foot in front of another.

As Emma exchanged her shawl for her white apron and cap, Mrs. Blotts rushed up to her. The hospital was still very busy, wounded soldiers still waiting for surgery.

"Emma, I'm going to need you to stay in the hospital at all times now. You live too far away to be on call and anything could happen. You are a valuable nurse to this facility, and I don't believe the war with Telmar is over yet."

"Mrs. Blotts, I highly doubt we will have a war with Telmar. I'm sure it was just an isolated incident."

But people like Mrs. Blotts only listen to the worst rumors and believe them without hesitation. Emma gave up on trying to convince her and changed the subject. "Where will I stay?"

"You can rent out a room in the palace, or sleep in his Majesties' room."  
Emma raised her eyebrows. To rent out a room in the palace as a nurse cost almost double her current rent. Servants in the castle were given free board, anyone else had to pay. _Guess I will be sleeping in the same room as a King for a few weeks,_ Emma thought, _And I can't even go home to grab a toothbrush._ Rubbing her eyes as she tried to wrap her head around it, she walked to the king's room. Opening the door, she plopped her sweater on the chair and turned to face the bed. Then she turned around and realized that there was someone sitting in that chair.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I just…" Emma pulled the shawl off and realized it was Prince Caspian. "Your majesty, I'm so sorry," She babbled, unsure of whether to curtsey or if it was too late now.

"It's quite all right. Don't worry about it," He said, standing up. Only then did Emma realize that all of the Kings and Queens of Narnia were in the room. She did a quick courtesy, her face red. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize Mrs. Blotts let in visitors, normally, no visitors in the morning."

"We can leave, if you want," King Peter broke in.

"Oh, no, You're fine." It was impossible for Emma to turn even redder. She set her shawl off to the side and tied her apron around her waist. She decided to forget what had just happened and move on.

"Is he awake?"

"Yes, I'm awake," came a voice from the bed.

Emma turned to check his bandage, then decided to introduce herself. "I'm Emma, your nurse until you are fully recovered. I will be on call at any time, so if you are in pain, or need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"I don't need a nurse," Edmund groaned.

"Unfortunately, your majesty, you do. You can't walk, if you haven't noticed." Emma was all business now. She changed his dressing and checked his vitals as she spoke.

"Emma, please let us know if we can do anything to help. We should probably go now, but we will check in later," Said Susan. "Thank you."

Emma watched as they filed out, saying goodbye to king Edmund. She turned red again thinking about their first impression of her and faced Edmund again, one hand on her forehead.

He was smirking.

Emma glared at him, unable to retort to the King. "Your Majesty, how does your leg feel? Better, worse?"

"It's hurting like the bloody devil."

Emma grabbed the clipboard and used it to hide her red face while looking at the list of shots. "You can have another shot of morphine soon. I'll go get it."

When she returned with the shot, Edmund was sitting up, one arm around his side, another gripping the edge of his bed.

"Get back in bed! You are _not_ well enough for this."

"I'm fine."

"Absolutely not. Get back in bed."

"I'm the king, I do what I want."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry your majesty, but the only special treatment you'll get under my care is not yelling at you."

"I could put you in prison."

"And I know you won't because what I'm telling you is perfectly reasonable. Get in bed."

Edmund sighed and lifted one leg back up but flinched as he tried to bring the other up. "I can't."

"Hmm." was all Emma said as she helped him lay back and rest his foot. She cleaned his arm and gave him another shot of morphine. Then she silently went to go find him some breakfast.

When she returned, he rolled his eyes. "I already ate."

Without a word, Emma sat the food down on the small table and began to eat it herself. She had planned on bringing it to him, but if he wasn't going to, she was. When she finished, she left to return her dishes to the kitchen.

As she entered, Edmund was sitting up again, gasping. She nearly stomped her foot in frustration. He was really starting to grate on her nerves.

"Listen, you _may_ be frustrated that you can't walk, but I can guarantee that you will not get better until you rest. In a week, you can move in a wheelchair, but until then, you are not leaving your bed." Emma gently pushed him back and made him comfortable again. He was glaring at the ceiling, eyes red and wet. He covered his face with his hand and pulled away a second later, face now emotionless.

Once Emma was sure he was alright and would stay in bed this time, she opened the door, ready to return to her other patients. "Is there anything else you need?"

Edmund shook his head and turned away. Emma bowed her head and closed the door quietly.

Once outside she resumed her duties, trying to push down her worry that she would be fired for speaking so rudely to the king. She occasionally checked on him, but he was always asleep.

I have the next chapter written already, so it will probably go up soon. Please review!

-N


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! This is another long chapter, so enjoy. Also please review! :)**

 **Answer your questions .elysium - Obviously, in my opinion, Narnia is way more advanced in medicine than real medieval time (that's what I picture Narnia as too). I didn't think about needles/syringues though, and now that I think about it, that probably wasn't the best idea for this but because I thought they would have more advanced medicine than just herbs, I needed a way for him to recieve the morphine. However, I could have done more research to find something that was similar.** I did think about blood clots (My dad had one once, I know about the causes etc), but I didn't think that they would have known that he should have moved because of his leg. Too advanced for Narnia. I guess it just kind of depends on the author because medicine in narnia isn't a common topic. I'll try to make it more accurate for the time period from now on. The 2nd chapter will probably be the most "hospital" heavy (if that makes sense.) :)

Chapter 3

Before her shift in the hospital ended, she found Beth and picked up Edmund's food, a tray of fancy desserts and sandwiches. The sound of the tray on the table woke Edmund and he propped himself up, looking hungrily at the food. After Emma sat Edmund up and handed him the food, she stood before him nervously, hands clenched together. "I'm… sorry for how I acted. Earlier. It won't happen again." She kept her head bowed and when she finally glanced up, he was smirking at her.

"I'm not going to fire you, I can't technically do that," He propped his head up with his elbow. "But, I could _require_ a few favors."

Emma raised her eyebrows.

"Whipped cream."

"You want just whipped cream?" Emma repeated. She hadn't expected that. _Isn't that the reason he betrayed his family?_

"Yep. A whole bowl of it." He smirked again. Emma sighed. _That smirk is starting to really annoy me._ She turned to walk out towards the kitchen and bumped into a tiny girl wearing a humongous dress.

"Excuse me, ma'am, no visitors until three o'clock this afternoon. His majesty needs to rest."

The girl clutched her chest in fake shock. "I can't believe a _servant_ talked to me like that! Oh Edmund, you must be miserable with such awful service here!" The girl said as she swept past Emma and sat down next to Edmund.

Emma bristled at the servant comment and moved to enforce the rule, but the girl wouldn't let her.

"Edmund, we've had such dull parties without you! You must recover quickly, those stupid Telmarines!"

"Yes, I do miss those parties too." Edmund motioned to Emma to pull the girl out. She laid a hand on her shoulder, a little afraid.

"Excuse me, miss. His Highness isn't feeling well enough to talk. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The girl stood up haughtily and blew Edmund a kiss. Then she pranced out the door like a peacock.

"Only family visitors for a week Edmund. Then all the girls can come."

Edmund smirked (once again) and Emma blew out her breath, frustrated. "She's nice."

"Nice? If you call a sour slug nice."

Edmund laughed. "I was kidding. But most of the girls are nice."

A couple hours later, Emma finally asked a question that had been bothering her as she checked his temperature.. "Was it the Telmarines? The ones who hurt you?"

"What? Oh, yeah. We think it was a band of robbers, but this isn't the first time this month."

"So there isn't going to be a war?"

Edmund shifted, almost guiltily. "I wouldn't… say that."

Emma probed further.

"All I can say is that there is a very real possibility that it could happen. That's why I need my _blasted_ leg to get better." He clenched his teeth in pain.

"It wouldn't hurt so much if you stopped trying to get out of bed, King Edmund."

Edmund cursed and glared at Emma as she smiled, knowing she was right.

Later that evening, the kings and queens returned to check on Edmund. Emma brought Edmund his dinner, including the whipped cream. As she left, Queen Susan asked Emma to give a report on Edmund.

"An honest report. We know he isn't the most patient - or polite - person." She added.

"Well… If you want me to be completely honest your majesty," She glanced at Edmund, who was trying to tell her to be quiet. "He won't stay in bed, even though he might rip the stitches if he moves too much. And he should sleep more."

Edmund sagged in relief. Emma curtseyed and began to leave, but this time, Lucy asked her to stay. "I'm sure you need a break. Do you live nearby?"

"Um… I live almost an hour walk away, your majesty. But I'm sleeping here until His Highness is feeling better."

"Call us by our names." Peter waved a hand.

"Which room are you in?" Lucy asked, intrigued.

Emma blushed and decided to change the subject. She didn't want to tell them that she was too poor. "Can I get anyone a drink? Or ice cream, maybe?"

Lucy shook her head, standing up. She hugged Edmund and said her goodbyes. "I promised Martha I would meet her in a few minutes. See you in the morning!"

The rest of the family stayed only a few more minutes, chatting and laughing with each other. Edmund seemed to be tired, listening more than talking. When they left, she felt his forehead. "A little bit hot. You need to rest, hopefully you'll feel better in the morning."

She changed his bandages and then left the room, hoping he could sleep. A few hours later, exhausted, she scrounged up a blanket and fell asleep on an old chair in the King's room.

A week passed slowly. Emma would wake up early in the morning, no matter what time she had gone to sleep, to make sure that Edmund didn't see her. After a quick breakfast (if she had time) she would do her rounds in the hospital, occasionally checking on Edmund. Not only did she have to make sure he was alive, but help him go to the bathroom, dress, entertain him and clean the room. He was slowly driving her insane, somehow pulling pranks on her, trying to get out of bed, faking fevers, awful jokes and anything else to annoy her. Occasionally, he would convince a passing maid to help him hide sacks of water that would dump on her as she walked in. Once, he had thrown whipped cream and it had hit her square in the face. When she took him outside in a wheelchair, he would spin around as fast as he could, one time knocking her over and scraping her hands. Gaggles of girl would come in during visiting time and Emma would have to force them out, receiving all kinds of dirty remarks. His family also visited often, and that was also hard. She was still a little intimidated by them, and sometimes would be forced to sit still for a long time. As she tried to take care of Edmund, more and more Mrs. Blotts asked her to return to her duties in the hospital. Emma was finding it impossible to keep up with all of the demands and get enough sleep. The only reason she stayed with the jobs was to save up money. When she had any time, she would daydream about becoming a surgeon, not just a nurse.

Finally, on her break, she wandered down to the kitchen, hoping Beth could make her feel better. When she reached the kitchen, she collapsed on a chair and put her head in her hands.

"What da ya think you'r doin?" Beth grumbled as she poked Emma until she sat up.

"I'm so tired Beth." Emma put her hand to her brow dramatically.

"Uh huh. An' when was da last time ya ate righ'?"

Emma couldn't remember the last time she had a full meal. She had just sneaked rolls off of Edmund's tray when she had time.

"That's what ah thought. Stay righ' there, Ah'll find ya some food." Beth walked, away calling out for servants to find some food. When she brought a heaping plate over, Emma realized that she had been starving and devoured it.

When she finished with her third plate, Emma glanced at an old clock on the wall. "Thanks Beth, I gotta run." She kissed her cheek quickly. "See you tomorrow."

Beth grinned at her and waved goodbye, turning back to the vegetables she was peeling.

"I missed their funerals, you know." Edmund said a few days late, as Emma checked his wound.

"Hm?" Emma said, half listening, a pin in her mouth.

"The… men who died. In the attack."

"I… I'm sorry. I… when was it?" Emma said, listening now.

"Three days after the attack. It was soon, but they moved the bodies quicker then the injured. I was still on way back to Cair Paravel."

Emma was surprised that he was talking to her about this. Nurses were trained to help people emotionally, but Emma hadn't been able to get him to talk when she tried. "Did you know them?"

"Yeah, and they had families too. Good families."

"Do… you want to see their graves? It might help."

Edmund shook his head, almost as if he was telling himself he was being foolish. "I'm fine. Forget I said anything."

Emma tried to get him to talk more, but he had closed off again. This wasn't the first time he had mentioned something and then closed off. She had seen that he had been hurting, and had nightmares often, but anything she offered to him, he refused.

Emma wheeled Edmund out onto the grass and handed him his book. Emma was on the end of her string. She hadn't showered in almost a week and her hair was greasy. Edmund had made multiple comments about how tired she looked, and it was all she could do to not yell. It had been almost two weeks since she had changed her clothes as well, not being able to go home.

She sat down next to him, leaning against a tree and began to braid her hair.

Edmund glanced at her and frowned. "Hey Emma,"

Emma ignored him, assuming he was making a comment again. She figured she would be less likely to lose her job if she ignored the king versus if she yelled at him.

"Do you think… I'll be able to walk?" Edmund's voice was soft.

"What?" Emma was surprised by the question. "Haven't the doctors come in and given you updates on your condition?"

Edmund shook his head, surprised. "They do that?"

"Of course they do!" Emma was fuming. This was yet another example of how disorganized the hospital was. "When I'm in charge, this won't happen," she muttered.

"You want to replace Mrs. Blotts?" Edmund asked.

"Of course I do! she's a disorganized, overly strict crazy woman! I -" She stopped, realizing what she had just said, covering her mouth. "I didn't mean for you to head… I… sorry."

There was a long silence as Emma yelled at herself for saying that to the King.  
"Um… Listen… You'll -"

"You can talk to me like a normal person. I'm not really that special. If you want to yell go ahead," Edmund cut in. "If I'm a king and I can't take feedback, what kind of king am I?"

Emma bit her lip and then gave in to her reckless side.

"Fine. You're arrogant, rude and annoying. I've been sleeping on a chair for the past two weeks so I could earn extra money. I haven't showered in forever and it's all I can do not to yell at you. If I could just go home for a day, I would be fine, but..."

"You've been sleeping in a chair? Don't you have a room in the palace?"

"Um, yes, but someone else sleeps in there too."

"Who?"

Emma hesitated. "You."

"You sleep on the chairs in my room?" She nodded. "Those have to be extremely uncomfortable."

Emma was silent, then smirked. "You snore in your sleep."

"I do not!"

"You definitely do, King Edmund."

He waved his hand. "Drop the King bit. Back to the main point. Why don't you go home?"

"Mrs. Blotts wanted someone to stay with you 24/7 in case anything happened. Ripping a muscle like you did is kind of rare. And, once you can walk, I'm supposed to help with your physical therapy."

"So you have to sleep on a smelly chair because she asked you to?"

Emma shrugged defensively. "I need the money. I want to go back to school and become a surgeon."

He looked impressed. "When?"

"I almost have enough. But Mrs. Blotts said that if I leave before you are completely healed, I won't be able to ever get a job here again."

This time Edmund was shocked. "She's stupid. You are great nurse."

Emma smirked. "I knew it."

"You never answered my question."

"Oh! Of course. You have about a week and half, maybe two weeks until we will put you on crutches. A week later you can walk, and a little later you can return to _light_ exercise. In a month you can be back to training."

He closed his eyes in relief. Then he grinned and opened his eyes. Reaching behind him, he pulled out a water jug and opened it. Emma realized what it was but it was too late to move. He dumped it all over her, soaking her through. She stood up dripping and grabbed the jug from him. She poured what was left on him and yelled as he brought out another bottle.

By the time both jugs were empty, only Edmund's shirt was wet and Emma was soaked. She glared at him and burst out laughing at his grumpy expression. "I wasn't supposed to get wet," He said.

She smirked and wheeled him inside. When he was dry, she realized that she had no dry clothes. "I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later, she had found no clothes. All of the other nurses were too short, thin or fat for her to borrow clothes from. Her only option was to go home or wait it out.

"Edmund, you arse. I don't have any dry clothes," She said. "I'm going to go ask one of the maids but -"

"Go home for a day. You need a break anyways. I'll just tell Mrs. Blotts that I need a break from you."

"You can't do that." Emma put her hands on her hips.

"Watch me."

Emma sighed, exasperated. "Fine. But if I lose my job, you're paying my way to college."

"Fine."

Emma scrounged up a sweater to put over her dripping dress and began the long walk home. As she rewrapped his bandage one last time, he asked another surprising question. "Do you… Have you seen me… Do I have nightmares?"

Emma made eye contact, but he turned away, slightly red. "Edmund, everyone-"

"No! I - nevermind." His voice was flat, then became a forced happy. "Enjoy yourself on your day off. Don't do anything stupid."

Emma smiled at him, grabbed her sweater, and left. She said goodbye to Beth in the kitchen and began the long walk home, not wanting to waste money on a cab.

Please review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Hi sorry about the delay! I had a writers block. Anyway, hope you like it and please review!

Chapter 4

The next morning, Emma woke up slowly, letting herself relish the chance to sleep in. She stayed curled in a ball, wrapped in a blanket as she watched from her window people moving down the street. When she finally got up, she dressed in a clean red dress and went to go find something to eat. All of her food had spoiled, and there was no point in restocking before she went back for a few more weeks. She wandered down to a small bakery and ordered a cinnamon roll.

Emma ate the roll as she walked along the beach, savoring the taste. When she was done, she pulled off her shoes and hiked up her skirt, wading into the clear blue water. She hadn't felt so refreshed in ages.

A few hours later, Emma gathered a bag of her things to take with her. A change of clothes, a hairbrush, things that she had borrowed when she couldn't go home. This would make her life much easier. When she was ready, she counted her money quickly, including her most recent paycheck. She was still a few hundred dollars short of tuition, plus she would have to move and find a new apartment. Then food, rent, etc. Sighing, Emma locked her door and walked toward Cair Paravel.

The next time Edmund's family (minus Susan) came into visit, Emma decided she would ask them to help Edmund.

"Excuse me, your majesties?" She said, in the hallway after they had left. They turned around and stopped. Emma turned a little red at the attention. "I… had a question about Edmund. He has… a lot of nightmares. He won't talk to me, or take anything to help him sleep better. Is there anything you could do?"

Caspian and Peter shared a glance. All five of the kings and queens suffered from occasional nightmares because of war, but Peter, Edmund and Caspian suffered the most.

"It helped us to talk about it, a little. But Ed won't. He says it's not good to dwell on the past." Caspian turned to Peter, but he shrugged in defeat. "Sometimes it helps if someone is there at night."

"I'm there, but he doesn't seem to appreciate being woken up either."

"You sleep in his room?" asked Lucy.

Emma turned red (once again) _They probably think I'm an idiot for always turning red like a tomato._ "I can't afford… to live in the servants quarters, so I'm sleeping in this room."

"What?" Caspian said in disbelief. "All the servants get free board in the castle."

"I'm a nurse, not a servant, your majesty," Emma said a little coldly. She bit her lip as they all looked a little taken aback. _I've said the wrong thing again. Every time I've met the royalty of Narnia I do something stupid._

'We'll have to get that fixed right away," Lucy said. Emma wanted to sigh in relief. She curtsied instead, and smiled her thanks.

"I'll try and talk to Ed again, but he wants to figure it out on his own." Peter shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'll come by tomorrow."

"Thank you, your majesties."

"Please, just call us by our names." Lucy smiled. "Could you show me the hospital? Just a quick tour? I was hoping…"

"Yes, of course. I have a few minutes." Emma smiled back as her brothers walked away, already joking with each other.

When Lucy left, Emma surprised herself by thinking she had enjoyed it much more than she could have though. _Lucy is just like any other normal 14 year old girl. Not spoiled, polite, kind and charming._

Eventually, Edmund was able to walk on crutches without falling over or hurting his leg. And not long after than, Emma saved enough money to leave. Mrs. Blotts yelled at her, crying, for leaving in the middle of the hospital. "You'll never get a job here, ever if you leave. You were lucky I hired you once, and I won't make the same mistake again!"

Emma watched her rage with a blank expression, and when she was done, smirked, and walked into Edmund's room. None of that really bothered her. She knew her value. She gathered her stuff and was about to walk out when she noticed Edmund laughing hysterically.

"What on earth?" She muttered. When he finally stopped, he wiped his eyes and grinned. "You should have seen her face when you turned around. Best moment of my life. And for the record, you're a great nurse. She'll retire soon, and then you can get your job back. No one in their right mind wouldn't hire you."

"I think that's the first nice thing you've ever said to me." Emma grinned and swung her bag onto her shoulder. "I'm not gonna let you forget that."

Edmund groaned and his trademark smirk slipped back on his face. "See you later."

Emma smiled and walked out, past a seething Mrs. Blotts and out the door. Outside, a few nurses huddled outside, waiting for her. Emma stopped in surprise as they approached.

"What …?"

"Mrs. Blotts is an old foggy, and we will all quit if she doesn't hire you back when you return. You're the best nurse, better than Mrs. Blotts too." Emma, an older, small nurse said.

Emma grinned but was a little embarrassed. "Thanks! I'll miss you. I'll see you in a few months when I visit." Then she quickly made her exit, wanting to get home to pack.

Emma stood in the doorway of her apartment, now empty of all her belongings. She had spent last night cleaning and packing, and her stuff was now reduced to two small suitcases and the clothes on her back. A few months ago, she had applied to surgeon school when she had completed her nursing education, but didn't have enough money and gave up on the dream. The college had immediately accepted her and given her a small scholarship.

She wasn't going to miss the smells of the street below, her noisy neighbors or the small space. But she was going to miss her job. She had enjoyed working in the hospital, as long as it wasn't with Edmund.

Emma shut her door and handed the key to the landlady. Picking up her bags, she carried them through the streets to her new apartment, ready for a change.

Three months later, Emma was running home, holding her books in her coat to avoid the heavy rain. She had just come from watching a back procedure after someone had been stabbed in the Telmarine war, and needed surgery to repair the back muscles.

The war had started almost immediately after Emma had left the hospital, and every day, students and friends dropped out to join the fight. Emma wished she had stayed in the hospital to help, where she would have been needed, and everyday she thought about going back. But she held out, taking double classes and overloading herself to get through school faster. Once she was a surgeon, she would return. _I can help more people that way._ Alex told herself for the hundredth time that day.

Emma stopped only briefly to pick up her mail at the post office. Once home, safely inside, she sorted through them. A letter from her parents, her sister, and a large yellow envelope. She skipped the letters and opened the yellow envelope. There was no return address. Curious, Emma began to read.

 _Dear Emma Draper,_

 _You are hereby ordered for induction into the Narnia Army as a nurse and surgeon. You will report to the Cair Paravel hospital at 7 am. on May 17th._

The rest of the letter was a blur to Emma. She hadn't expected that, she hadn't even known there was a draft. But this made up her mind. All her reasons to not go vanished, and she knew that she had to go.

Reading the letter quickly, Emma was slightly shocked. She had only two days to prepare!

Her mind was blank for a moment, unsure of what to do, almost panicking. Taking a big breath, she focused on what needed to happen. Thinking through what to do next, she wrote a letter to her parents, explaining the yellow envelope briefly. Once the letter was sealed, she opened her suitcase and stuffed clothes and her nurse uniform in. Anything else she piled into boxes, stacking them against the wall. Working late into the night, she cleaned and stored her belongings. She fell asleep on her bed, clothes still on, and exhausted.

XXX

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	5. Chapter 5

HI! I know this is kind of a hospital heavy chapter, and like I've said before, there isn't a whole lot about Narnia's medical hospitals and technology, so I assumed they are more advanced than medieval times, but don't have super great surgeons/surgeries. Again, I'm just kind of making my own assumptions. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 5

XXX

Standing in front of the large hospital doors at Cair Paravel, Emma sighed. Now that she was here, she wished she was back in school, achieving her dream. But for now, this wouldn't hurt. She had spent her last day holed up in her apartment, skipping several classes and lectures, reading and rereading her textbooks, trying to learn everything she could.

Emma stepped forward and opened the door, straightening her white nurse's uniform, and was nearly run over by a nurse and a soldier sprinting with a stretcher into the hospital.

"New load coming in!" The nurse, Aubrey Kimberlie, yelled. Emma jumped out of the way and was nearly assaulted by Mrs. Blotts.

"Took you long enough Ms. Draper! Get to work, you have to earn your pay!" She screeched, carrying an armful of bandages. Emma dropped her small bag hastily and set to work. The hospital was crowded with groaning men, running nurses and frantic doctors. Instantly, Emma moved towards the operating room, hoping to assist in a procedure if possible. But Mrs. Blotts stopped her again, this time carrying a pile of papers.

"Sort these. And then do triage on the next incomers." She shoved the papers at her and moved away.

Emma sat down and glanced at the papers. They were the medical forms and charts for each patient, some who had died, and some who had multiple surgeries. More and more men came in, some hobbling, others supported by harried nurses, and some on stretchers. As Emma directed them to wait or into beds, she was shocked that their wounds weren't being tended to earlier.

When things had calmed down slightly, Emma approached Mrs. Blotts, who was looking down at a chart. "Excuse me? Are there no front line hospitals? They have to be transported here?"

Mrs. Blotts didn't look up, pulling a pen from behind her ear and making a note. "There are a few. Not enough, and the ones that need surgery or less immediate care are sent here. I've been trying to petition the Kings and Queens for more help, but they only set up a draft for nurses here. I expect you'll be sent to front lines with your experience." And she moved away, leaving a very surprised Emma. The front lines?

XXX

Sure enough, it had only taken a week for Emma to be transferred to the front lines. According to Mrs. Blotts, the best way for Emma to help would be to help at the front line hospitals, but Emma was sure she just wanted to get rid of her.

A letter had arrived in Emma's dorm, in the basement below the hospital, three days ago. A cart of soldiers heading to the front had picked her last night and drove all night to reach their destination, a forest filled with shouting men, training, sleeping, and sweating. Exhausted but determined, Emma walked into the small hospital. Outside, there were a group of men, each holding onto bandages on various body parts, some looked faint.

Inside, it was hard to move around, too many beds and hot bodies. Finally, Emma located the head nurse, a small man with vibrant orange hair, introduced herself and was put to work writing down names and the conditions of injured men.

Each man had to wait in the makeshift waiting area of the tent. Then, if a nurse decided they needed critical attention, they would be moved to another waiting area, where they wait (again) to see (another) nurse for (another) assessment. If there was a surgeon available (probably not, they had only 1), they would move to another room to wait (again).

It was maddening. Emma was about to rip her hair out an hour later. It was extremely inefficient, and men were waiting hours for basic treatment. Frustrated, she abandoned her almost pointless job of writing down names and moved to gather bandages. Once she had an armful, she moved into the waiting rooms and began washing, cleaning and bandaging wounds.

She was standing in a room separated from the others by a blue sheet, wrapping a man's arm with a white bandage when a sharp voice came from behind her.

"Ms. Draper! You can't be in here!" Emma turned around to face the man who had spoken, hands still wrapping the bandage. "You do not have the proper authority. Get out."

Emma turned back around and told the man to apply pressure, and come back to get the bandages changed tomorrow. Then she made a note on her clipboard as the man exited. Then she turned back to face Mr. Earl, the head nurse, and sole surgeon.

"I decided that I would be in better use if I helped with care instead of writing down names. I would have asked for your permission, but as you're busy with surgeries, I decided to take the initiative myself." Emma stood calm and poised, knowing that getting angry would not make him any happier.

"I can't believe - you had no right... " He spluttered. "We need nurses that take orders, not make their own." He cursed. "Why does the army send me incompetents instead of experienced workers?"

"In all fairness, sir, I worked in the Cair Paravel hospital for nearly two years before leaving for school to become a surgeon. I took double classes to finish faster, and I only have a year and a half left. I have experience."

He whipped a towel in the air. "I do not need this impertinence. Get back to your assignment."

But Emma couldn't let this go. "These men need help now! I can do both at the same time."

"No."

"Give me three hours. If I can decrease the numbers in that waiting room in three hours, I can keep doing this. If it is still madness out there, I'll go back to my job."

"No. We need you out there now."

"Two hours."

"No."

"One."

He considered this. "If you lose, you go back to your job and do double shifts for the next week."

Emma almost protested at the unfairness but closed her mouth quickly. "Deal."

"One hour."

Emma blew out her breath as Earl left and another man, holding a cut on his head entered.

The next hour was frantic and hectic. Emma had never moved so fast in her life, running from room to room, bandaging, cleaning, removing arrows, rocks and even a broken sword from various body parts. She set broken bones, stitched wounds and cleaned up vomit. When the hour was over, she glanced briefly at the waiting room. But it seemed like there was no difference. There were still men waiting outside, the waiting room was crowded, and not enough surgeons.

Emma sighed, knowing she had lost and was destined to lose from the beginning. Picking up a clipboard, moving to write down the names of the men.

"Ms. Draper!" The same sharp voice from before was suddenly in her ear. "You failed." His eyes were mocking and cold. "Double shifts for a week."

"Yes, sir." Emma frowned and turned back around. Double shifts, just writing down names for a week. Internally screaming, she scribbled down the next man's name and his injury.

"But… you can return to that job. You earned it." He said grudgingly, still glaring.

"Thank you, sir." Emma smiled slightly once he turned away and moved back to the curtained rooms.

XXX

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

It was Emma's last double shift after losing the deal and she was utterly exhausted, which seemed to be a common occurrence in her life. Each shift was normally eight hours, but working sixteen a day, with only six hours of sleep a night was too much for anyone to handle.

The instant her shift ended, Emma practically ran to her bed, almost crying. Not only was she exhausted physically, but mentally as well. Earl kept her busy every moment, hating her with a passion because of her 'disobedience'. Emma knew that she was as good as the other nurses, if not better because of her experience and training, but he continuously held her back, making her do the dirty work. Nothing she did seemed good enough for him.

With a crowded hospital, an inefficient system and not enough trained nurses, the lines never seemed to end. No matter how hard she worked, there were still more people to help. In the Cair Paravel hospital, no one ever died because there weren't enough doctors. But here they did, and Emma wanted to cry every time another body was carried out from the waiting room or a surgery. But she couldn't let herself. If she did, she wouldn't be able to come back, and that scared her. Emma had never been more scared before in her life.

On top of the hospital pressure and demands from Earl, the Telmarines gave no sign that they were going to give in. Several times the hospital had to be moved miles back as the Narnian army retreated. They were getting closer and closer to Cair Paravel, and Emma knew from what she had overheard that the Telmarines would most likely attack Cair Paravel in one final battle. This only added to the pressures that Emma felt. Scared, anxious, frustrated, and exhausted.

Emma also felt that the hospital system had much to be improved upon. The system was inefficient because the nurses were forced to move the injured men constantly from room to room. If Emma was running the system, she would get rid of that, and use the nurse's valuable time to treat the patients instead of pushing them around. Paperwork was practically useless in the front lines, and there was no point in keeping up with it. There would be time after the war for that.

XXX

"Ms. Draper? Wake up. Another battle, just outside of the camp this time. We're moving the hospital back again."

Emma groaned as the news sunk in. The nurse looked sympathetically at her.

"Rise and shine Emma, you got a brand new day." The nurse laughed happily at Emma's confused expression. Then it turned sober. "You better hurry. We're packing up now."

Emma was up in an instant, dressing and braiding her hair on the way. As the hospital began to be dismantled once again, a shout rose up from the hospital. But it was too loud and Emma couldn't tell what the problem was. No one seemed to be in control of the situation, so she forced her way through the circle of soldiers.

In the middle lay king Edmund lay on a stretcher, clutching his side, where an arrow lay embedded. Blood was pooling on the stretcher from his side and his face was white. For a second, Emma was shocked, but it only took a moment for her to recover. She wasn't exactly happy to see him, especially like this.

"Move! Everyone clear out! I need two men to carry him inside. Another get bandage, lots. Everyone else, clear out!" Emma yelled, following Edmund inside.

"Abby, I need two shots of morphine, now. Bring him in that room." Emma directed. As Edmund was laid down on a bed, she spoke quickly, handing him a strip of leather. "Edmund, this is going to hurt. Bite down, otherwise you'll hurt yourself."

"I'm not going to scream." _Typical arrogant king._ Emma shook her head, remembering how much he bothered her. "Yes you will."

She worked quickly, first giving him the shots of morphine, then snapping off the shaft of the arrow. She poked her finger into the hole gently, gauging how deep the wound was. Edmund yelled, biting down on a strip of leather as she cut away the arrow. Emma gritted her teeth as he jerked just as she pulled the arrow out. Glancing at the wound, she noticed that the arrow had only grazed him, missing anything vital. But it was deep enough that it would3 definitely take weeks to heal. Unsure of whether to stitch the gaping hole or just bandage it, she decided to just gently stitch it together and heavily bandage it.

"Not again Edmund," she muttered, tying the bandage in place. He had passed out in the process, and for the first time, she noticed that he was quite handsome when he was quiet.

The nurses swarmed around, taking care of the Just King's minor injuries. Emma tried to think about how they could transport him safely without damaging him anymore in the process. He needed rest, and here at the front lines he wasn't going to get any. He needed to go back to Cair Paravel. And if he was here, it was likely he would try to fight again before he recovered fully. Deciding to place him on a stretcher and put him on the first wagon back to Cair Paravel, she headed out into main room of the tent.

She relayed her instructions to the commander in charge at the camp, who promised he would take care of it. Then she returned to the tent, helping the injured men into wagons, packing up the tent, bedding and everything else inbetween.

As they loaded the last of the injured men into wagons, shouts came from the south, and swords began clashing and clanging. In the distance, men were fighting, and Emma became frantic. The Telmarines were known to attack hospitals if they came upon one, and Emma was not going to take any risks, even if it meant leaving the hospital tent and supplies behind.

As Emma hopped onto the last wagon, loaded with men and odd items, a messenger caught up to her, handing her a note.

"General Fitzhopper orders you to retreat all the way to Cair Paravel. Give this to King Edmund." He yelled over the clamor. "No time to tell King Edmund, I have to help." And he ran towards the battle, drawing his sword.

Emma jumped off the wagon, picked up her skirts and ran past all of the wagons for what seemed like ages to the front, where Edmund lay propped up, holding his side. She took a huge leap and jumped on. Edmund barely stirred and she had to grab his hand and force him to take it. His guard tried to pull her away, so she handed the letter to him instead. "We're going all the way to Cair Paravel. Don't stop, and hurry!" Emma said, panting.

The guard spoke harsh words to the driver, who urged his horses faster, tearing down the road. Emma gritted her teeth as Edmund groaned at the jerky, rough movements of the wagon. She hopped off the wagon, waiting for her assignment to roll by. As she hopped on, she watched the battle behind her until it disappeared from sight and sound. A single tear leaked out her eye.

XXX

I'm so sorry I'm the worst at updating. But we've had like six snow days so I finally caught up on all my homework and now I can work on this!


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